Autumn sun

Autumn sun

Posted on 15 Mar, 2009 10 comments

Slowly but surely it is noticable that the weather is changing. More sunny hours and far less rain. Yes, this is autumn all right. Here in the Southern Hemisphere it means the sun is going back to the equator and then onto the Northern Hemisphere, shedding its light on you people in the US and Europe for instance. In the South here the nights are slowly getting cooler. Rains have started to pour on Melbourne, something they would have begged for several weeks ago when fires ravaged their country sides. But here in the North of our country, where I live, it is just becoming pleasant. Lovely weather for working in the garden. Weeks on end we did have rain and as I don’t like getting soaked, even if it is dry between showers, the shrubs and plants are still wet and I had to let the garden go. But for the past week I have been able to pull up unwanted weeds ( real easy in the soft damp ground ), been cutting back vines, shrubs and cutting out the dead heliconia leaves. That job is lovely, you can see it tidy up in front of your eyes, the only thing is the actual tidying up…putting all the cuttings and weeds into the wheelbarrow. Smaller bits can easily be raked, but those tall leaves, sometimes up to 2.5 meters or longer, have to be picked up and cut in half, then carried away with the wheelbarrow to the refuse heap. I have actually been able to con hubby into doing that for me.
Yesterday I had a fight with some Bromeliads. They always look nice especially when in flower, as they are all different and exotic looking, but when they die off in between the new ones which come on off the rhyzomes, it is no easy task. I was cursing and swearing ( nobody could hear me anyway, lol ) as I just didn’t have the strength to cut through the rhyzomy roots. In despair I called hubby who has so much power in his hands from having been a farmer. But whilst I had been struggling I not only have scratched open my upper arm and shoulder, I also overstretched and overdone it. That was yesterday…today I could hardly move. I had to take some anti inflammatory to get me sorted out, because I was hurting so much. What a price to pay for having so much fun in the garden. But it was because I hadn’t done much at all lately, not using all my strength. I thought I was getting really old, and perhaps had to hire a gardener after all, but after some rest I felt good again this afternoon and once again I was in the garden. LOL. But small jobs only.
Hubby answered to my plight to improve our view from the terrace by pruning the tops of some shrubs down in the garden below, so I thought. Soon I heard him whimper too. He’d landed onto a green ants nest, not seeing it above his eyes and tearing two branches apart, of course in the process splitting the ants nest open. Bad luck! He had to abandon the mission for today and try again tomorrow. Often when the ants are disturbed they move on to better pastures, wise little creatures they are.
We’ve had lots of visits of butterflies lately, which also is a sign of the dry. As soon as the sun is out, they feel it is time to collect nectar from flowering shrubs and trees. The most beautiful of course is the black and blue Ulysses butterfly. And it is huge too, at least 15cm across. Then there are the black/blue ones with white spots, also lovely, but smaller.
Not only butterflies are showing themselves at the moment, also the most gorgeous little yellow birdies, honey eaters, who love sitting on the heliconia flowers. They are so small, yet they make so much noise, it is hard to believe.
It sure was a wonderful day today, and a true sunny day on Sunday. We even sat in the low sunrays on the veranda having our drinks at 5pm, whilst enjoying the view of the tidy gardens and the mountains as a backdrop.
A very rewarding day. And now whilst I am writing this, it still is 25C. The evening walk with the dogs was under a wonderful bright starry sky whilst a balmy warm breeze made sure we knew we live in the tropics.

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